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Guenther Steiner

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Guenther Steiner
Steiner at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix
Born (1965-04-07) 7 April 1965 (age 59)
Merano, South Tyrol, Italy
NationalityItalian
CitizenshipItaly
United States
SpouseGertraud Steiner
Children1

Guenther Steiner (born 7 April 1965,[1] German: Günther[2][3]) is an Italian and American motorsport engineer and former team manager. Steiner was the Team Principal of Haas Formula One Team from 2016 to 2023, the managing director of Jaguar Racing from 2001 to 2003, and technical operations director of its subsequent incarnation, Red Bull Racing.

Career

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Rally (1986–2001)

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Born in Merano, South Tyrol,[1] the son of a butcher,[4] Steiner studied engineering; however, without completing his degree, he then moved to Belgium,[5] where he began his career as a mechanic in the World Rally Championship for Mazda Rally Team Europe from 1986 to 1988.

From January 1989 – 1990, Steiner worked as the assistant team manager for Top Run Srl. He acted as head of reconnaissance, and later as a technical manager, at Jolly Club from 1991 to 1996.

In 1997, Steiner managed Prodrive's Allstar Rally team, winning the European Rally Championship with Krzysztof Hołowczyc, and in 1998 M-Sport recruited him as project manager. In 2000, he was promoted to director of engineering, where he worked under the Ford World Rally Team alongside drivers Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz; ultimately, securing consecutive runner-up finishes in the 2000 and 2001 seasons.[1]

Jaguar (2001–2003)

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Steiner switched to Formula One in 2001 when Ford's official Formula One full-works team, Jaguar Racing, appointed him as their new team principal. Niki Lauda headhunted Steiner for the job of managing director.[1][5] According to Steiner, "[Lauda] asked, 'are there any talented people at Ford?' And the reply was 'there's Günther.' The guy lied!"[5] Assuming the role on 3 December, Steiner was responsible for the engineering side of the team at Milton Keynes, while the director of strategy John Allison handled administrative tasks.[6]

Steiner reorganised the team and reduced costs during his tenure.[1][7] However, Jaguar underperformed in the 2002 season,[8] with lead driver Eddie Irvine claiming only eight championship points while teammate Pedro de la Rosa failed to score,[9] and parent company Ford dismissed Lauda on 26 November before making 70 team members redundant.[8][10]

On 5 December, Jaguar announced Steiner had been replaced by project manager David Pitchforth as part of the restructuring. Spokesman Nav Sidhu said, "he has relinquished his responsibilities as MD but has done nothing wrong. This organisation is in significantly better shape now than when he joined. Günther has clearly laid down the engineering baseline that David will now aim to take on to the next level."[7]

Although Jaguar's new management offered Steiner another role in the team, he ultimately declined,[5][7] and spent the 2003 season on garden leave before replacing Wiet Huidekoper as technical director at Opel Performance Center in November of that year.[1][11]

Red Bull (2005–2008)

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After Red Bull purchased Jaguar Racing in November 2004,[12] Steiner was invited to join Red Bull Racing.[1] Opel's plans to withdraw from the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters at the end of 2005 motivated his return to the Milton Keynes team.[13][14][15] His appointment as technical operations director was confirmed on 13 January 2005.[1][16]

Steiner and team principal Christian Horner jointly led the outfit to improved results in the 2005 season,[17] but when Red Bull poached championship-winning technical director Adrian Newey from McLaren, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz approached Steiner to help establish a NASCAR team in the United States.[5][18] Feeling the F1 team had become overcrowded, Steiner consulted his wife and agreed to move to Mooresville, North Carolina,[5] where he served as Team Red Bull's technical director from 1 April 2006 to April 2008.[1][18]

Haas (2014–2023)

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Steiner remained in Mooresville after leaving Red Bull, where he founded the manufacturing company Fibreworks Composites in January 2009.[1]

While the US F1 Team was in development, Steiner met Joe Custer and Gene Haas of Stewart-Haas Racing, who had declined to invest in the project, at a steakhouse. He proposed they themselves enter F1 by ordering a customer car from an established constructor, but delays in securing approval prompted them to apply for entry as a privateer team.[19][20] Steiner, described as "the prime 'doer'" by motorsport publication Autosport, recruited the core staff, interviewed every team member,[4] and developed partnerships with outsourcers Dallara and Ferrari.[21][22] On 14 April 2014, he was officially announced team principal of the fledgling Haas F1 Team.[22]

With their entry in the 2016 season, Haas became the first American constructor to compete in F1 in 30 years.[23] The team took eight points at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with a 6th-place finish by driver Romain Grosjean, becoming the first American entry, and the first constructor overall since Toyota Racing in 2002, to score in their debut race.[24] Haas completed the season with an 8th-place finish in the 2016 constructor standings and 29 points, all scored by Grosjean.[25]

At Haas, Steiner became notable for his forthright personality, particularly for his appearances on the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive which featured him frequently swearing. In 2023 he released a book, Surviving to Drive: A year inside Formula 1, about his experiences.[26] In January 2024, it was announced that Haas had chosen not to renew Steiner's contract for the 2024 season. He was replaced by Ayao Komatsu, the team's former trackside engineering director. [27]

In May 2024, it was reported that Steiner had sued Haas for non-payment of commissions that he was owed over several years and for continuing to sell merchandise featuring his name and image, as well as using him on Haas' official website without his authorisation.[28] A few days later, it was reported that Haas Automation, the parent company of Haas F1 Team, is suing Steiner and his publisher Ten Speed Press for trademark infringements in his Surviving to Drive autobiography.[29] In September, Haas Automation's lawsuit was dismissed by the court.[30]

F1 Commentator (2024–present)

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In late February 2024, Steiner signed a contract with RTL, a German television channel who broadcast F1 in Germany, as a specialist commentator. He will attend the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix paddock and at least seven Grands Prix for the 2024 season.[31][32][33]

Personal life

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Steiner holds Italian and American passports,[5] and lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, with his wife, Gertraud, and daughter.[1] Being a native of South Tyrol, he speaks German and Italian, along with English.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Guenther Steiner". Haas F1 Team. 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. ^ Schneider, Philipp (25 March 2021). "Formel 1: "Wir wissen, dass unser Auto 2021 nicht gut sein wird!"". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  3. ^ Weinzierl, Alfred (3 November 2019). "Formel-1-Teamchef Steiner: "Die Überlegenheit der großen Drei wird fortbestehen"". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b Rencken, Dieter (26 February 2016). "Just how do you build a new F1 team?". Autosport. Retrieved 19 March 2017. (subscription required)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Silbermann, Eric (23 October 2016). "Breakfast with Guenther Steiner". F1i. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Jaguar Racing names Managing Director". Motorsport.com. 1 December 2001. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Baldwin, Alan (5 December 2002). "Pitchforth Replaces Steiner as Jaguar MD". Autosport. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Lauda sacked by Jaguar". BBC Sport. 26 November 2002. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Irvine axed by Jaguar". BBC Sport. 1 November 2002. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Jaguar reveal 'virtual' launch plans". Motorsport.com. 23 December 2002. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Steiner joins Opel DTM programme". Autosport. 16 December 2003. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Red Bull snaps up Jaguar F1 team". BBC Sport. 15 November 2004. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Opel confirms DTM withdrawal". Autosport. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  14. ^ "The F1 axe falls at Red Bull Racing". Grandprix.com. 7 January 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  15. ^ "The resurrection of Gunther Steiner". Grandprix.com. 7 January 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  16. ^ Sabine, Alex (13 January 2005). "Steiner appointed RBR tech boss". Autosport. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  17. ^ Tremayne, David (8 January 2005). "Horner sweeps new broom at Red Bull". The Independent. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Steiner joins Red Bull's team". Autosport. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  19. ^ Sylt, Christian (15 July 2014). "Haas Declined Chance To Invest In US F1 Team". Forbes. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  20. ^ Smith, Luke (25 March 2016). "Gene Haas carries American flag into Formula One history". NBC SportsWorld. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  21. ^ Pockrass, Bob (19 October 2016). "Gene Haas & Guenther Steiner Q and A: The blueprint beyond 2016 for America's F1 team". ESPN. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  22. ^ a b "F1: Haas Formula teleconference transcript". Racer. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  23. ^ "Haas present maiden F1 challenger". Formula 1. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  24. ^ "Melbourne stats - four in a row for Rosberg, Haas emulate Toyota". Formula 1. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  25. ^ "2016 Formula One World Championship - Constructors' Championship". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Book review: Gunther Steiner's Surviving to Drive". www.motorsport.com. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Haas: Guenther Steiner leaves as team principal after 10 years". BBC Sport. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  28. ^ Noble, Jonathan (1 May 2024). "Guenther Steiner takes Haas F1 team to court". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  29. ^ Noble, Jonathan (13 May 2024). "Haas suing Steiner over alleged "Surviving to Drive" infringements". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  30. ^ Cleeren, Filip (27 September 2024). "US court dismisses Haas trademark case against Steiner". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  31. ^ "Guenther Steiner secures new job in F1 after Haas exit". The Independent. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  32. ^ Dhawan, Vidit (29 February 2024). "Out of Favor Ex-Haas Boss Guenther Steiner Returns to F1 but Not as Team Principal". The SportsRush. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  33. ^ "Steiner to make Bahrain F1 paddock return in German TV role". www.autosport.com. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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